Page 80 of Dangerous Games of a Broken Lady
Now, all of that was lost to him. He had made his bed, and he had to lie in it. Indeed, he was already lying in it. The control had been snatched from his grasp, and he loathed the notion.
“I will obey,” he said. “I will leave your family be, and I shall break the engagement between Lady Adelaide and myself. I will not breathe a word of what I know, and I will take what recompense you may offer. You have my word.”
“Gratitude, Duke,” Ephraim replied.
“As for you, Lady Adelaide, I am sorry for this,” he said softly. “I had not realized the depth of my feeling towards you until this very moment. I might have had everything in the palm of my hand, had I not sought to take more. That shall be my deepest regret.”
Adelaide’s expression became confused. “Let this be a lesson to you,” she said, after a moment’s pause. “Lord Rowntree instructed me on what I ought to say in that letter, to bring you to this room and to your ruin. It seems he knew you far better than I ever did.”
“It has been a hard schooling,” he replied.
“We shall leave you now,” Ephraim declared. “There are gentlemen below who will escort you back to your home. They will watch you, to ensure you do not break your promise.”
“Very well.”
Ephraim dipped his head. “Good day to you, Duke.”
With that, the gentlemen and the ladies left the room, with the exception of Jasper.
“I suppose you shall marry her now?” Reuben asked.
Jasper smiled. “Your loss is my gain.”
“Then you are a fortunate man indeed.”
How he wished he might have Jasper’s place, but it was too late for that now. He could not take back what he had done.
Epilogue
One Month Later
The first snow of Winter fell upon the small church in the grounds of Kiveton Hall. Blackbirds pecked at the dirt, in search of nourishment, though the worms had retreated below ground. In the beautiful gardens, robin red-breasts hopped from the bare branches of the wiry bushes and plucked the red berries from the holly trees. The evergreens retained their lush fronds, their branches rustling in the cool breeze that drifted across the grounds.
Carriages had been arriving all morning, with beautifully attired guests stepping down from the warm interiors. Adelaide had watched them arrive from her bedchamber window, while growing more and more excited with every new person who was welcomed into the house. They had all departed again a short time ago, heading for the church, which let her know that the wedding was nearing.
With nervous excitement buzzing through her, she stood in front of the looking glass in her bedchamber, admiring the cream silk gown. She could see her face through the gauzy veil that partially covered her features, giving an air of mystery that amused her.
They had returned to the countryside several weeks ago, after the altercation with Reuben. Since then, there had not been a single whisper of anything to do with her family. He had kept his word, though she knew he had not been happy about it. Reuben was not the kind of man who liked to be fooled like that. Still, she was glad of the way things had turned out.
Their engagement had been officially revoked, leaving her free to court Jasper, although they had waited a suitable amount of time before a proposal had been offered. She had accepted without hesitation, marveling at her good fortune. Love had filled the two townhouses, and it had followed them all the way back to Yorkshire. Their families could not have been more content with the arrangement, and neither could she.
A knock at the door disturbed her. Lady Leeds poked her head around and smiled at the sight of her daughter in her wedding dress. She stepped into the room and moved across to where Adelaide stood.
“You look beautiful,” she said.
“Thank you, Mama.”
“You know, I remember my own wedding day as if it were yesterday,” she murmured wistfully. “I stood as you are doing, wondering what my life would become. I did not know your father then, but as soon as I saw him at the end of the aisle, I knew that he would make me happy. You are more fortunate than I, for you have known Jasper your entire life. You are already conscious of your affections for one another.”
Adelaide grinned from ear-to-ear. “I love him, Mama.”
“And he loves you,” she replied. “I can see it in the way he watches you, and the way you laugh with one another. Laughter is such sweet medicine, and you shall live long lives indeed, with such a thing to guide you through your union together.”
“How can it be that I am so fortunate?”
Lady Leeds held her daughter close. “Because you are of pure heart. You have always sought to do whatever you can for our family, and now you have been rewarded with a gift of your own.”
“I have never been so happy.”
